On July 29, Straight4 Studios released Update 2.1 for Project Motor Racing, which overhauls the physics of its flagship classes. On the same day, the studio announced that its founder was no longer at the helm. The two pieces of news were not presented together, but they tell the same story.

A patch that doesn’t fix anything, but just redoes it

Straight4 claims to have recreated the GT3 and GT4 classes based on actual homologation data. These aren’t just cosmetic tweaks: everything from general handling, Balance of Performance, suspension geometry, differentials, gear ratios, inertia, center of gravity, turbo response, aerodynamic sensitivity, and tire performance has been addressed. The AUS V8 class receives the same treatment.

The thermal model follows. Temperature now affects tire lifespan and grip, with overheating, scrubbing, and severe wear, and heat from the brakes is transferred to the rubber. That’s why abrake duct adjustment option has been added to the setups, featuring the classic trade-off between cooling and aerodynamic drag. Naturally aspirated engines now feature a ram-air intake simulation, while turbocharged engines have a revised model.

The detail that says it all about the scale of the project: players’ saved setups no longer work. Straight4 is aware of this and provides new default settings, including low-downforce setups for Daytona and Brianza and a more stable setup for the Nordschleife. It’s a cost they’re willing to bear, and it’s rarely a sign of a studio that’s just going through the motions.

Keep those who are still online

The other half of the patch focuses on convenience. Join-in-Progress is being rolled out gradually in custom lobbies: you can now join a practice or qualifying session that has already started without waiting for the host to return to the lobby, and the Custom Lobby screen indicates which sessions are affected. At the same time, notifications alert Ranked Racing participants that a race is approaching, which solves the problem of having to constantly monitor the registration screen.

On the graphics front, the triple-screen feature is entering early alpha—exclusively on PC—with in-game options. VR is receiving fixes and configuration options. Straight4 notes that these two features are still under active development and do not represent the final quality, which is at least clear.

Kevin Boland Takes the Helm, Ian Bell Steps Aside

Ian Bell is no longer CEO of Straight4 Studios. Kevin Boland, who previously served as Chief Development Officer, has taken over the position effective immediately. The studio says it remains focused on its community, its roadmap, and improving the game. Boland, for his part, describes his approach as unchanged since his arrival: providing the team with the clarity, structure, and support it needs on a daily basis, while continuing to listen to players. He also took the opportunity to thank Bell for his contributions to the studio and to sim racing. Ian Bell has not commented.

It’s worth noting that the studio wouldn’t exist without him. Slightly Mad Studios was acquired by Codemasters in 2019, then by EA in 2021, the year Bell left the company. EA subsequently shut down Codemasters’ racing projects with the exception of the official F1 series, including Project CARS 4. Bell founded Straight4 with his own funds and part of that team, initially signing with Plaion—the game was then called GTR Revival and later GT Revival—before joining GIANTS Software.

What this tells us about the ongoing project

Project Motor Racing was released on November 25, 2025, and the reception was harsh: poor performance, inconsistent physics, disappointing force feedback, erratic AI, and a game that felt largely unfinished. Staff cuts followed. Since then, the studio has also been recruiting top talent, such as Aristotelis Vasilakos, who was responsible for much of the physics in Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione, which was released this year.

No one can say today whether that will be enough. But a patch that rebuilds the foundations rather than just patching them up, released on the very day the founder steps down—that’s no coincidence. It’s a second attempt, and it’s being treated as such.